Lost City, Lost Kingdom, Lost Soul - Orm (Aquaman)
by FantasyandHistory
Summary: Set after the events of 'Aquaman' - To Atlanteans, their great kingdom is thriving, however, to surface world dwellers, this magical underwater land has fallen into myth. A myth she is determined to surface. (Full Summary inside!) (OrmxOC) (ArthurxMera) (AtlannaxTom)
1. I - Legend of Atlantis

_Hello and welcome to my latest story, based on 2018's Aquaman! I have seen this movie twice now and honestly, I love it, what an exciting world to be apart of, what an adventure! It's definitely a very me kind of movie, complete with action, adventure, myth and magic, badass women, pirates, a charming lead, and a handsome 'villain' ;) yes, Orm had my heart even before I saw the movie, and I was already planning a new story in his honour, so here it is! 'What would it be like for him if he fell in love with a surface dweller who's kind he hated so much?' is a question that I am really intrigued by and excited to explore! (I was so, so glad he was only imprisoned and not killed so we will likely see more of him - hopefully him and Arthur will pair up and fight together! ;)_

 _As promised, here is a full summary:_

 **Set after the events of 'Aquaman' - To Atlanteans, their great kingdom is thriving, however, to surface world dwellers, this magical underwater land has fallen into myth.**

 **For archaeologist Tatiana, this myth bears truth and reality. She is determined to find even the slightest bit of proof that tells of Atlantis's existence. However, after years of searching with little findings, she hates to admit she is becoming discouraged.**

 **A miracle answering her long-held questions comes in the form of a man who washes up on shore, bringing much needed excitement, and she discovers that her search may have led her to perhaps the greatest source: the previous king of Atlantis himself.**

 **Still feeling passionate hatred towards the surface and those who live there, Orm escapes from prison and plots his revenge against his newly-crowned brother. However, things don't exactly go according to his plan. How will Orm react to developing feelings for a human of the surface world that he so despises? (OrmxOC) (ArthurxMera) (AtlannaxTom)**

 _Onto the story! Hope you enjoy! :)_

* * *

I - Legend of Atlantis

 _Atlantis_.

Having long fallen into human myth and legend, one that was a confirmed fantasy.

Tatiana didn't believe it. Not a word of it.

Her motto was that every myth had to come from somewhere. After all, why would it be a myth in the first place? All myths had foundation in truth, usually ancient truths.

Ancient civilizations captivated her, often so ahead of their time, often so clever, and so very intriguing.

How their myths spoke of how the world and all within it emerged.

How they managed to build great structures without any modern equipment: great pyramids, statues. Cities.

 _Cities_. One of which had been consumed by the sea long ago, and was presumably still beneath the glittering depths, waiting to be found.

Or not. After all, it had been centuries upon centuries, and still little-to-no trace of Atlantis had been found, had surfaced.

Until now.

Her search for the fabled kingdom had taken her around the world, from her homeland of Greece, to Egypt, across Europe, and now to North America, to a small coastal village, Amnesty Bay, Maine, which had recently exploded with speculation of the truth of Atlantis's existence, including an Atlantean who walked among them, the 'Aquaman'. This was the start of a six-month contract search with a salvaging company, led by her, Dr. Tatiana Andreas.

This was one of the many aspects she loved of this job, the travel, seeing places she never thought she would see otherwise. Archaeology had taken her to the farthest corners, the tiniest points. And she loved every minute of it. Nothing compared to the thrill the searching gave her.

That was why she hated to admit it, but she was becoming frustrated with her current search. During other projects and digs, Atlantis had always been in the back of her mind, it never left her. That and she was nervous.

What happened when she did find it? Redefined history for the world!

And if she didn't? What if all this excitement over the 'Aquaman' turned out to be nothing but further continuation of the myth? This was the most nerve-wracking.

No, she would find it. She _would_. She had to.

* * *

Vulko had promised him a cell with a view, and that was exactly what he got.

It was the perfect view really, the glowing city centre, colourful ships floating by, cutting rainbow, bioluminescent paths through the water. It was close enough that he could recognize certain people passing by, including his mother, Vulko, Arthur, and Mera. Mera was always easy to spot, her bright red hair and emerald suit, and Arthur with his long hair that he didn't pull back, unlike Orm (Orm sometimes imagined Arthur's hair getting caught on coral and rocks). The Trident of Atlan always glowed in all its golden brilliance in his hand.

Orm grit his teeth at the thought of it and turned away from the cell window. Instead of admiring the view, which really meant staring his defeat in the face, he began to pace his cell, back and forth, back and forth, eyes focused on the ground, which was how he spent a lot of his time in the three weeks he had been here.

Upon looking back up, he nearly jumped.

His mother stared back at him.

No guards had come to alert him of a visitor (she must have requested so) and she had been so quiet in entering the dungeons that she had snuck up on him.

As a child, people told him he resembled his mother. Before meeting Arthur he had always wondered if his brother did too, and had admittedly been pleased to find that Arthur took after his father more. He was glad to have more of their mother.

He had her white-blond hair and her piercing blue eyes which now bore into him.

She gave him one of her kind, bright smiles. "Hello, Orm."

"Hello, Mother." He couldn't look away - there was no way he could.

"I came to see how you were doing."

"Fine, it would seem."

"I'm sorry this has happened."

"So am I. Though not because of why." He felt no shame in what he had done, it had been justified after all. Could no one understand that? "I can't believe you're alive," he stated after a pause.

"Neither can I, really. I've missed you so much."

He wanted to say, 'I've missed you too. So much.' Instead he said, "Funny, haven't seen you come to visit very often if that's the case."

"I've been settling back in, and helping Arthur settle in and stabilize the Seven Kingdoms."

"Arthur, Arthur, Arthur. Always the favourite." Now he looked away.

Atlanna's smile fell and she gave a breath of a sigh. "Orm-"

"Do you deny it?"

"Yes, I do, because it's not true. I told you, I love you both. You're my son." He still didn't look at her. "I thought of you every day while I was trapped in the Trench. I missed you so much, my darling."

"I missed you too." This time he couldn't stop the words. _I missed you so much._

"I always dreamed of the day my sons would finally meet, brothers, friends. It didn't go exactly as I had hoped."

"And I suppose you're here to accuse me of fault?"

"No, but you must understand that you have done wrong."

"I was trying to protect us."

"As any true king would. But waging war isn't always the answer. You jumped into it too quickly."

"I suppose you would side with them, after all you married one."

Atlanna appeared hurt at the sharpness of his words. "I fell in love."

Her voice was soft, gentle, soothing, just as he remembered it from his childhood. He scoffed.

"You cannot fault me for that. You could at least be happy for me." She paused, receiving no response from him. "We cannot choose who we fall for, Orm. Sometimes it just happens. Like with Tom and I. And Arthur and Mera."

Again, he grit his teeth. _But she was betrothed to me_. He scoffed yet again and turned away further to stare back out the window at the palace he once ruled from, the city he once reigned over. "I almost wish he did it, you know."

"Did what?"

"Killed me on the spot." _Plunged the trident into my neck. Ended everything right there._

"Orm!" she gasped. "You don't mean that!"

"Maybe I do. At least a death in battle fighting for what I believe would have been less shameful than this."

"Your brother spared you for a reason, and it was not to rub in your failures."

"Then why'd he do it?"

"Because he's a good man-"

"And I'm not?"

"I didn't say that. He didn't want to hurt his family any further." Atlanna sighed again. "And Mera - I'm sorry about you and her."

"I don't want to talk about it."

She nodded in understanding. "Please, behave yourself. Please." She pressed a hand against the glass. She wore a silver ring on one finger, and Orm guessed her surface-dweller husband and Arthur's father had given it to her. "You do so and the sooner all this will be finished, and you can start over. We can all be a family." She smile. "We would all love to see you return to society once your sentence is up."

He was going to make some comment about the half-breed and his human father, but held his tongue. _Oh I'm sure_ you _would,_ he thought. _No so sure about the others, though._

Atlanna continued. "Let your time served here allow you an opportunity to reflect on why your brother spared you-"

"HE'S NOT MY BROTHER!"

Atlanna appeared startled for a moment, and Orm was almost a little startled himself. Almost.

"The little boy I left behind always wanted a brother. Now you have one."

"No, I don't."

Atlanna sighed. "I should be going. Please, think about what I have said. I love you, my son. So much. Never forget it."

Once she left he pressed his hands against the cool glass, staring down at the floor, trying to calm himself.

The glass shook when he pounded it with a fist. His whole hand and wrist stung now but he ignored it.

He had to get out of here. The weight of what had happened was settling upon him, which was exactly what Arthur wanted, to make him see. Orm wouldn't give in, wouldn't give Arthur the satisfaction.

Unlike Arthur, he had grown up here, spent his whole life here. He knew his way around, shortcuts and secret passageways. He didn't need any help to get out of here, his father had always taught him to rely solely on himself. "I couldn't even rely on the trust of your mother, my wife," Orvax had once said. Maybe Orm couldn't rely fully on his mother either.

He only had himself, all he ever really had.

This wasn't over, it had only just begun. He would have his way, he would have his war with the surface even if he had to go through Arthur - that he would be glad of. He was going to get himself out of here and was going to reclaim his throne and kingdom, his birthright. If anyone could accomplish this, it was him.

He was the Ocean Master after all.

 _Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :) Let me know what you think so far!_


	2. II - Salvaging Mission

_Forgot to mention this before: I do not own these characters, just my own! Same with the storyline! Thanks, hope you enjoy!_

II - Salvaging Mission Turned Rescue Mission

The sun had begun to descend; darkness would set in soon. Tatiana was thinking of telling the crew to call it a night. For safety reasons, they were told to stop salvaging when it got dark.

Max gave a loud yawn. "Another day, another day."

 _Another day, another failure, you mean,_ Tatiana thought. He might as well just say what he meant.

Max was the owner of the salvaging company she was working with on this job, who had inherited it from his father, who inherited it from his father, and so on. Max obviously didn't usually do the hands-on work like this (he kept telling her about his ocean-view office), seeing as he showed up in a dress shirt, dress pants, and nice leather shoes that looked like they would be ruined by a mere splash of the water that surrounded them.

"So, there's this new bar that I've been thinking of trying, right on the water. Apparently the fish tacos are amazing! Thought you might like to join me."

 _Again_ , she thought, _just say a date._

He wasn't convinced in the least of the existence of Atlantis, she knew, but he never made her feel silly or wrong for thinking it did. He had his opinion, she had hers. She had been here for a week, and was going to be here for the next six months, so it would be nice to get to know people around here. Even if it was just as friends. She should probably get away from her work for an evening.

The crewmen were just beginning to hoist up the last net-full of debris, what Max called 'junk' and what she called 'potential treasures'. Tatiana didn't know what she expected to find, but there had been a lot of 'Atlantis action' around here, so that left her hopeful. Atlantis was nearby. Far below, but close. So very close.

Almost tauntingly close, teasingly.

The salvaging boat had already been docked back at the harbour, as the last load was being brought up onto the deck. Tatiana scanned the rocky shoreline, where sea met sand. She stood at the edge of the docks, watching the net, which was nearly bursting it was so full, come up slowly from below. She could already see a mix of plastic, rusted metal, rocks, and seaweed, remains of the masses of garbage that had washed up on shores around the world. The ocean was so polluted, stuff which got clogged around here by the shore, in amongst the rocks and sand.

The heavy debris shifted as the net carried it upward, and she caught a flash of something in the fading daylight - thank goodness for the bright lights of the harbour which had turned on as soon as the sun began to set.

The mess shifted again and this time she caught a better glance of it, what she had seen, and it came into startlingly clear focus: a human hand, attached to an arm, attached to a body...

Her heart leapt and she gave a yelp. Someone was in there, caught in the net!

Max was still talking to her as she took off running up the dock, waving her arms above her head to signal to the crewmen, who probably couldn't hear her shouting over the sound of the pulley and boat's motor.

"Stop, stop!" All the men turned to face her when she raced up on deck, Max now following behind her. "I saw someone caught in the net - someone's in there!"

They slowed the lowering of the net onto the deck, hoping to be as gentle as possible. Once the contents of the net spilled out across the deck, the rest of the crew saw.

"Oh my God-" She cursed in Greek. A man now lay splayed out across the deck, surrounded by garbage and seaweed.

After a stunned, silent moment, a few of the men moved towards him.

"Wait! Don't touch him-" You weren't supposed to move injured or potentially injured people. "Let's move all this." She grabbed a pair of gloves and began to help them move what had been salvaged away from the man.

Once the deck was clear around him, she knelt at this side, contemplating what they should do next. _Oh please oh please don't be dead._

Although, he looked quite the opposite of dead. In fact, he looked remarkably well for someone who had just been found amongst a pile of salvaging. He was wearing a wet suit of some sort, though unlike any she had ever seen, and his hair, which was so blond it appeared gold, the blondest hair she had ever seen, was pulled away from his face and tied in the back.

Her first thought was, _wow, he's beautiful_ , her second being, _yikes Ana! We just rescued a man and you're smitten by him?! He could be dead!_

Was he a diver? A swimmer? A sailor? It was hard to tell, but obviously something had gone wrong to cause him to end up in the shallow water and in a salvaging boat's net.

"This is bad," Max was saying, eyes wide. "This is really bad." Probably didn't want this to negatively effect his company.

"Shit," mumbled one of the men. "How the hell did he get in there?"

As if anyone knew the answer.

Everyone jumped and most cried out when, moments later, the man's body suddenly and sharply moved as he choked up a mouthful of water onto the deck and gagged.

"He's alive!" shrieked Max, as if they all couldn't see it for themselves.

Face set in a grimace and breathing heavily, the man now stared around him through a squint.

"Excuse me-" His head snapped around to look at her when she spoke. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

He heaved a breath and looked as though he was about to say something before he slumped back onto the deck, unconscious.

"Jesus," mumbled one of the other crewmen.

"Call an ambulance," she cried to Max.

He whipped out his cell phone. "What should I tell 'em?"

"We found a man unconscious by the docks. Almost drowned." Should have drowned. How was he still alive?

"I'm sure glad he didn't." He dialed and took the call.

"Me too."

The ambulance arrived quickly, thank goodness, and she and Max followed close behind in Max's car to the hospital. Once there, they filled out a report, the best they could, knowing nothing about this man.

Tatiana left her cell phone number, asking to be notified about how he turned out.

When Max dropped her off back at the seaside cottage she was calling home for her time here, she was exhausted. What a day! Sure, her various searches over the years had had their share of moments, but nothing like this.

She hadn't known what she expected to find here, if anything. This was definitely not what she had imagined.

 _I think we all know who the mysterious man is ;) Yay, they've met (sort of!) What can I say, I always love the bad boy characters ;)_

 _Thank you all so much for so many follows, favourites, and reviews already! :D so glad you're enjoying this story so far!_

 _I already have ideas for another 'Aquaman' Orm romance story in the works (I'm so obsessed with this movie!) so stay tuned for that! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	3. III - New Face in Town

III - New Face in Town

The next morning, Tatiana checked her cell phone to see if there had been any calls from the hospital regarding the unconscious man - she had written down the hospital's phone number so she would know it was them when they called.

There were no calls or voicemails, leaving her to wonder and hope that the man was all right. But no update didn't necessarily mean a bad thing.

The company wasn't doing any actual salvaging work today, but she did have a meeting with Max at his office, and the rest of the day would be for herself and her own research. She spent all morning before the meeting cooped up in her house - still unfamiliar and not quite home yet - pouring over her books and notes and articles, searching the internet and locating every news story, every post about Atlantis and Amnesty Bay she could find. The lengthy list was daunting, and when it was time to leave she welcomed the walk to Max's office, feeling that some fresh ocean air would help clear her usual stuffy head. Fresh ocean air could be the best remedy sometimes.

"Hello, neighbour!"

Just as she was leaving, she heard someone call. She turned and saw a couple walking hand-in-hand along the beach right in front of her house. The man, who had called to her, waved.

She waved too. "Hello!" she called back.

"Heard we had a new face in town."

"Yes, that's me."

"Tom Curry," he introduced. "And this is my wife. We live in the lighthouse across the bay." He shook her hand and then gestured to the woman.

"Atlanna. Nice to meet you." The woman gave Tatiana a warm smile and also shook her hand before taking Tom's hand again. Tatiana had only just met them, but could instantly see the affection between them. What a sweet couple!

"Tatiana, nice to meet you too," she introduced herself, returning their smiles.

"Your accent, is that Greek I hear?" asked Tom.

"You're right!" She grinned. Not very many people who guessed got it right on the first try, and she was impressed.

"Very nice. Where from in Greece?"

"The islands, Santorini."

"Ah, lovely. Long way from home, then."

"Yes, I sure am! I feel very much like a fish out of water here, but am still glad to be near the water," she chuckled.

"And what brings you all the way here?" Tom asked curiously.

"I'm here for work."

"Ah. What do you do?"

"Archaeology," she answered proudly.

Atlanna's already bright expression lit up. "That's wonderful!"

"Thank you!" Finally, someone who didn't roll their eyes at her profession.

"I'm studying Atlantis, the old Ancient Greek myth. It's my life's work."

Tom and Atlanna exchanged a knowing glance before turning back to her. "Well, you'll certainly find no shortage of Atlantis stories here," Atlanna told her.

"So I've heard. I'm excited."

"Yes, that is exciting. Good for you."

"Thank you." Again, Tatiana was pleased by their obvious support for her work - most other people would tell her she was wasting her time searching for something that was no more than a myth, a legend. Nothing but stories and make-believe. Oh, she had heard that one so many times she had long ago lost count.

"How long are you here for?"

"I have a contract with a salvaging company for six months, but I've only been here a week. I've been studying this for years with little success, but, who knows, a lot can change in six months. Like here, for example, a quiet town suddenly erupts with stories of super-humans and underwater worlds."

"Yes, the tourism's certainly increased," said Tom. "Lots of visitors from all over."

Tatiana nodded. Suddenly, she remembered she had somewhere to be. "I'd love to continue chatting, but I'm afraid I have a meeting to rush off to. But it was lovely meeting you, thank you for saying 'hi'."

"Same, nice meeting you, too. Welcome to the Bay! And if you need anything, come stop by the lighthouse anytime."

"Thank you, so much." They were so friendly and so welcoming. She instantly felt better and a little more at home.

* * *

As predicted, the meeting with Max at his office didn't last long, only about an hour and a half. Also as she had predicted, he brought up the pub date he had mentioned to her yesterday. He had already asked if there was any word from the hospital about the man they had rescued - "I'm still baffled how he managed to get caught up in the net" - and said he hadn't heard anything either.

"So, what do you say? Interested in some fish tacos? I was thinking tomorrow, maybe? It's Friday, and it sounds like they do live music Friday evenings. No worries, if not, I understand if you're still getting settled in..." He cleared his throat awkwardly. He was rambling, and she found it kind of sweet.

"Yes, sure, that sounds fun," she said. "Thanks, Max. What time were you thinking?"

He looked a little surprised. "Oh - awesome! Uh, six maybe?"

"Sounds good. Meet you there?"

"Yeah, definitely." He gave her the name and address of the bar. "See you there and then, then."

* * *

"Mom! Dad!" Tom and Atlanna were just heading back to the lighthouse, discussing their new neighbour's search for the underwater kingdom, when they saw the unmistakable figure of their son standing on the front driveway, waving to them and calling urgently.

Exchanging a glance, they quickened their pace and soon joined him before the house. "Arthur, what is it?" asked Atlanna. "Is something wrong?"

Arthur was visibly concerned. "I don't want to alarm you, but yeah, kinda. There's been a prison break - Orm's gone missing."

 _So sorry for the updating delay (that took me WAY longer than I would have liked. Thanks so much for your patience!_

 _I went to Santorini this summer with a friend and absolutely loved it! (so beautiful and amazing!) So I wanted Tatiana to be from there ;)_

 _Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! :)_


	4. IV - Date Night

IV - Date Night

As she was getting ready for her date with Max, Tatiana's cell phone rang.

 _"Hello Baby Sister, how are you?"_

"Phoebe! How are you?" Tatiana replied excitedly, breaking into her native language.

" _I'm well, and you?"_

"Really well thanks!"

 _"How's America? Are you all settled in?"_

"Not quite, but getting there. And it's good so far, everyone I've talked to so far has been really friendly."

 _"Good, good. Glad to hear it."_

"Oh Phoebs, I wish I had more time to talk, but I'm afraid I'm going out soon."

 _"Going out?"_

"Yes, for dinner."

 _"With someone?"_

Tatiana rolled her eyes at the growing excitement in her sister's voice. Even from across the world she could tell Phoebe liked where this was going. "Yes, with someone."

 _"On a date?"_

"Yeah, we're kind of calling it that."

Phoebe gave an unnecessary squeal, making Tatiana jump. _"Oh Ana that's so wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"_

"It's nothing big, don't get too excited. We work together, and I thought it would be nice to make some connections here."

 _"Do you like him?"_

"Well, yeah. As a friend though."

 _"Well, I hope it all goes well! I'm so excited!"_

The fact that her sister was more excited about her date than she was made her feel a little guilty. "Like I said, don't make a big deal about it, it may not go anywhere. I'm not even sure I'm ready for another relationship right now."

 _"Ana, not every man is going to - oh,_ _Adrian, Adrian, guess what?! Tatiana has a date tonight!"_ Tatiana could hear her sister shouting to her husband. She sighed, knowing she shouldn't have said anything because her family would just blow it out of proportion.

 _"What I was saying was that not every man is going to be like your last boyfriend."_ The sisters had long ago resolved never to speak his name.

"Yeah, but not every man is going to be as perfect as Adrian."

 _"Yes, he_ is _quite perfect."_

Tatiana heard a wet kissing sound from the other end of the phone line, and made a face, holding the phone away from her ear and hearing her sister giggling.

It was no question that their family favoured Phoebe's career and life choices. It wasn't that they didn't support Tatiana, only that they were unsure about her building her life upon a supposed legend, and they made sure they made that clear. Phoebe was a successful business woman, very happily married, and had a young child. Tatiana was single and had moved across the world to chase a myth. She was always all over the place. Her parents had told her countless times that with such a rich history, Greece was the perfect place for an archaeologist to work, and didn't like her moving around so much all the time.

 _"But I hope that one relationship that ended badly didn't scare you off from dating completely."_

"Not, 'scared me off', just made me more wary." Glancing at the clock, Tatiana saw that she would have to wrap up this conversation. "Phoebe, I have to go now, thank you for calling though it was really nice to talk to you! Say hello to everyone for me and send them my love!"

 _"Oh I will! And call me tomorrow and tell me how it all went!"_

 _"Have fun, Ana!"_ called Adrian.

 _"Love you, Ana!"_

"Thank you, love you too, Phoebs."

The line went dead. She was never going to hear the end of this.

* * *

 _Are there Atlanteans living among us?_

Tatiana's eyes were glued to the restaurant's TV screen, the news full of coverage on Atlantis and the supposed Atlantean activity that had been going on in the area as of late, including the 'Aquaman'.

"You sure picked the right time to come here." Max's voice snapped her from her trance and she realized she had been paying more attention to the screen than to him.

She blushed. "Sorry?"

"You picked a good time to come here, with all the 'Atlantean' stuff going on." He set down his fish taco in order to make air quotes around 'Atlantean'.

"Yeah, I sure did. It's perfect really, it's like this is all happening for me. I know it's not but it all just seems to be working out. Sorry, I'm distracted by my work once again."

"No, that's okay, you're passionate about what you do is all. I like that. I can see the passion in your eyes. This all means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

She nodded. "It does."

"Like how the salvaging company means a lot to me. I've always thought it's important to like what you do."

"Exactly! Why do it otherwise?"

"Yeah!" They shared a chuckle at their mutual excitement.

"So, how are the fish tacos? As amazing as they were said to be?" she asked.

"Yeah, I would say so." His plate was empty and clean, if that said anything.

"I'm full, I think I'll take the rest of mine to go." She nodded to her sandwich.

"Sounds good, I'll get the bill."

After leaving the restaurant he walked with her back to her house.

"Thanks Max. This was nice. And thanks for walking me back."

"Yeah, no problem. And yeah, it was nice. Thanks for joining me."

There was a pause, where they just stood smiling at each other. But what could have been an awkward moment wasn't.

"Well, have a nice weekend. I'll see you on Monday," she said, breaking the almost strangely comfortable silence.

"Yeah, thanks, you too."

Before going to bed she saw a text from him thanking her again for the nice evening. Smiling, she texted him back thanking him again too.

* * *

It turned out that they would see each other sooner than Monday. The next day in fact.

Tatiana was having her morning tea and was cutting a small article on Atlantis from the morning newspaper when her cell phone rang.

She expected it to be Phoebe ready to interrogate her about her date, but found that it was Max.

 _"Morning! Sorry, I know you thought you'd be free of me until Monday."_ She chuckled, and so did he. "And I know it's the weekend so we both technically shouldn't be working, but one of our teams made a pretty cool find last night that I think you'd be really interested in."

That was enough to have her out the door fifteen minutes later and speed-walking to the company's small warehouse where they stored their boats and equipment and whatever they salvaged to be sorted.

Max was dressed more casually than usual, but still professionally. She found it difficult to picture him wearing casual clothes like a T-shirt and shorts.

"How was the rest of your night?" he asked her when she arrived, face flushed and a little breathless from her hurried trek over.

"Good, I pretty much just went to bed. Yours?"

"Yeah, me too. Here it is."

Her jaw dropped when she saw what it was.

A long trident was laying on a table in the storeroom. It was a dark silver that seemed to glow in the light. The detailing was beautiful.

"Oh my God-"

"I take it judging by your reaction that I was right, you do find it interesting."

"Yes, oh yes! It's amazing!" She walked over so that she stood right before the table, beaming and eyes glowing. "It's in incredible condition."

"Never seen someone so excited about a giant fork before," he joked, a flirty edge to his voice.

She decided it wouldn't hurt to joke-flirt back. She raised her eyebrows. "This, Mr. Preston, is no giant fork, but a trident, a special weapon. Some records say it's the chosen weapon of Atlanteans."

"Perfect for you, then."

"Yes, perfect!" She reached out and touched it. "This may sound weird, but could I take this home? I'd love to examine it further."

"Yeah, sure. Go for it. I have my truck here, so we can drive it over. You might get some funny looks carrying that thing-"

"A _trident_."

"Trident, apologies. You might get some looks carrying it through town back to your house."

"Thanks, that would be great."

She cleaned any excess seaweed and water off the beautiful item before they loaded it into Max's truck and drove it home. The whole drive she was squirming in her seat with excitement.

 _So sorry for the lack of action lately with this story - with 'Avengers: Endgame' being released my Marvel stories have taken priority!_

 _But finally here's another chapter! Thank you so much for reading and your patience and I hope you enjoyed! :)_


	5. V - Strange Encounters

V. Strange Encounters

The fact that he was limping made Orm want to yell in rage. He was convinced that the surface dwellers had done nothing but make his state worse in their medical facility. At least he felt strong enough to walk now and move a little, so had wasted no time in leaving that horrid place.

His wet-suit was a bit torn, but he wasn't about to leave it there. And it was all he had to wear.

Usually, he was rather fond of attention, and might even consider himself to be attention-seeking at times. But not right now, not while in his embarrassing state, and certainly not from the surface dwellers. However, he knew better than to wander around in just his wet-suit, for he knew he would definitely draw unwanted attention, hence snatching one of the doctor's white coats on his way out.

His limp was not the only reason why he wanted to yell. In fact, he had many reasons why. The main one being just how much of a complete and utter failure his escape had turned out to be, and was now a complete and utter waste of time. All he had succeeded in doing was slow himself down, set himself back, especially in his new injured state.

Biting back a groan, he had to stop for a moment and lean against the side of the docks to catch his breath. It was only setback after setback.

Speaking of setbacks... That was when he saw it, the unmistakable glint of sunlight off his trident. He hadn't used his own weapon in years, having been using his father's as king, but Arthur had destroyed that one, so he had to go back to his own. It felt a little unbalanced now, but Orm concluded that this was because he had not used it in a while and it just felt unfamiliar.

He had lost it during his failed escape, and while he felt defenseless without the familiar and comforting weight of his weapon in his hand, he took pride in knowing that his abilities were more than that of these mere humans.

But how had surface-dwellers gotten a hold of his trident? A man and a woman had gotten out of a surface equivalent of a ship and had retrieved his trident from the back. The thought sent more rage boiling through him. Such a prized weapon and symbol of power should not be in such ill-fitted hands.

The two were talking and laughing, he couldn't hear what about but could tell, and it didn't look like they were being careful with his trident. The man passed it to the woman, still laughing, and she then headed towards the house they had arrived at, waving at him. He waved back and then got into the ship and drove away.

As soon as he was gone and before the woman could disappear into the house, Orm seized his chance. "Thief," he spat.

He watched as she froze, before slowly spinning around to face him, gripping the trident tightly. Good, he had frightened her. He hated the way his voice sounded so hoarse.

She was small in size, and his trident stood just taller than her, so it looked funny held in her hands. If he wasn't in so much pain, he may have smiled in amusement, even chuckled a little.

"You," she said in a heavy accent he wasn't familiar with, her wide, afraid eyes flashing with recognition, the initial fear he had caused her falling away some. "You're the man-"

"You stole from me, that's mine-" He took a shaky step forward, wishing he could just stride up to her and snatch the trident from her hands. His head spun. "Such a prized weapon should not be in the hands of a-"

But he didn't finish. Mid-sentence, he fell forward and collapsed right in the middle of her driveway.

* * *

Tatiana let out a yelp, practically diving into her house and shutting and locking the door behind her. What had just happened was a blur, and was so strange she needed a moment to take in that it had really happened.

Setting the trident carefully on her desk amongst other Atlantean research materials - she had almost forgotten she was holding it, almost - she went and peered through the window. The man was still lying face-first on the ground. That was definitely the same man she had found and helped before, and he was now in a very similar state to how she had first found him.

Maybe he had hit his head, wasn't thinking straight, for what he had been saying, more slurring, made no sense. Still, he had come off as angry and threatening, startling her to say the least.

Had he recognized her as she had recognized him? But he had been unconscious when they had found him before, so probably not. He had attempted to scare her it seemed, and it had worked, but she could also tell that he was struggling. Before collapsing, his voice sounded strained, and he appeared to be limping and in pain.

Keeping her eyes on the man through the window, she called the hospital, explaining the situation. By the sounds of it, he had somehow found his way out, slipping out from beneath the noses of the staff.

An ambulance arrived in quick time and took the man back to the hospital. Tatiana once again asked to be informed if he was alright.

It was so startling and so strange of an experience that she almost forgot the exciting find of the trident.

* * *

Tatiana was not expecting many visitors, so when there came a knock at the door the next day, she was surprised.

Upon answering the knock she found a tall man with tan skin and long, dark hair and a beard, and a curious-looking woman with the most intense red hair she had ever seen. Both were casually dressed.

"Morning, sorry to bother you," the man said, flashing her a friendly smile. "But we've been asking around town: we're looking for someone and wonder if you may have seen or heard anything?"

Tatiana regarded her guests. "Are you police?"

"Yes, yes we are."

"Are you undercover?"

"Sorta, yeah. Just casual, it's the weekend." The man flashed her another smile, this time a toothy grin.

"Alright, well, I'm new here so I may not be too helpful."

"Anything you can tell us. And your accent, is it Greek?"

"Yes, yes it is." Now she was smiling too. "Glad you recognized it."

"Cool."

"Who is it you're looking for?"

"A young man, his family's searching for him, he's gone missing. Early thirties, about this tall, bright blue eyes, and very light blonde hair. He was last seen, uh-"

"On the beach, by the water," the woman stepped in. "This was a few days ago."

"Yes, I know exactly who you're talking about!" _I saw him just recently, in fact... "_ Oh thank goodness, I was worried about him! He washed up while I was working with a salvaging company - he actually got trapped in the net. We took him to the hospital right away, only he must have escaped for he was out last night, yelling at me, before he collapsed and I called another ambulance. He didn't appear to be in very good condition, but he should still be at the hospital."

The two companions exchanged a glance, instantly looking relieved. "Thank you very much, you have been very helpful," the man said.

"Glad I could help. Would you like me to come with you?"

"No, thank you, you have done all you can do."

"We appreciate your help," the woman said.

"Thanks again!" called the man, and with that, they were gone.

She watched them go. Hmm, strange. At least the washed-up man was in good hands now. At least so it seemed.

Tatiana was quickly arriving to the conclusion that Amnesty Bay, Maine was a place of many strange happenings.

 _Yay, Ana and Orm have met - sort of! ;) I'm so excited for this pairing!_

 _Back to Atlantis in the next chapter - see you then!_

 _Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)_


	6. VI - Orm's Sentence

VI - Orm's Sentence

"Not so fun, is it?"

Orm's eyes suddenly snapped open at the sound of Arthur's voice and instantly regretted it. His head swam, for lack of a better word. His ocean blue orbs were met by the bright lights of the great hall. He had always enjoyed this room, but now it seemed all too bright. It wasn't all that long ago that they had been in this situation, only their roles reversed, with Arthur chained up and Orm seated on the throne giving the orders. That, and Atlanna hadn't been present. Now she stared back at him worriedly - was that also a hint of disappointment in her stare?

Arthur spun the trident around in his hands. The great Trident of Atlan for goodness sake! Orm was waiting for the famed weapon and symbol of power to go crashing to the ground and create a ringing sound through the hall, and was relishing in the great embarrassment he imagined Arthur gaining for it. _That's why you don't place such power in the hands of an ignorant fool._

Just the way Arthur treated such a special treasure so casually made Orm sick. And the way he lounged in the throne; how he wore no crown, a standard symbol for a king; how he wasn't wearing anything from the waist up; how he didn't pull his hair back - Orm didn't understand why the hair thing bothered him so much, it just did. Maybe it was years of pulling his own hair back out of fear of getting it caught on something and resulting in serious injury, or even death, and how Arthur didn't seem the least bit bothered by this. And despite having much longer hair than Orm, no such threat had come to him despite his carelessness. Orm was becoming more and more angry by the second.

And his current position didn't help.

Vulko sat on one side of Arthur, the traitor proudly serving him, and Mera sat on the other, _his_ betrothed, also charmed by his brother. And even their own mother had taken Arthur's side. Why did everyone have to side with Arthur? What was it about him?

Arthur chuckled. "Don't worry, we won't be here long. That is, if you cooperate." The way he even addressed Orm was so, so - un-king-like. So casual! So against all that Orm had been taught, all the ways that had been drilled into his brain from a young age. His father would be turning in his grave at all this - and Orm was almost surprised to find himself a little pleased at the thought of Orvax doing so.

Almost.

Would Orvax have been as disgusted to see Arthur sitting on the throne? Most likely. In the place of Orm? Most likely. Would he have taken Orm's side? Most like-

Perhaps. Or he would go on and on about how Orm failed him and everything he had taught him, what he had spent his whole life training for, and how that was all now a waste. Orvax might say he got what he deserved for being weak and such a failure.

But best not to think of that now.

Especially not while he was a chained-up prisoner under the gaze of his brother and people he had at one time been close to.

"Well, I can see prison's not working out for you. I'm actually surprised you lasted those three weeks. Almost impressive," Arthur continued.

"So what's it going to be now, then?" Orm asked in a demanding tone that he associated with being king.

Now Arthur grinned. "Eager to know, huh? Well, drum-roll please-" He paused, for some dramatic effect. Orm thought it was silly. "-I sentence you to four months living amongst the humans."

 _Excuse me?_ Orm nearly laughed aloud. Surely this had to be some kind of cruel joke? But Arthur looked serious, the most serious and king-like Orm thought he had looked this whole time.

A deep feeling of dread began pooling in the pit of Orm's stomach, a nauseous feeling. "I would rather be sacrificed to the Trench," he practically spat.

"Oh I don't know, it was pretty creepy down there. Mom, Mera, you agree?" The women nodded. "Plus, I kinda command the whole sea now, so the Trench really isn't an issue anymore. No more sacrifices under my watch!"

"Are you trying to torture me?"

"Not intentionally, no. But we all think that exposure to the surface world would be beneficial for you. Might open your eyes, expand your horizons. Like how visiting Atlantis did for me."

 _Oh, good for you_. So Arthur was suddenly pro-Atlantis now. Well that may very well have been because Arthur was from Atlantis, at least partially, whereas Orm had no connection or loyalty to the surface world, the only connection being that he had tried - and almost - destroyed it. He had almost been their destroyer.

"You can't be serious."

"Afraid I am." Though he didn't look very regretful.

Were they going to strip him of all his dignity? All his pride? To go live amongst the surface dwellers was worse than prison. Orm wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"I can see the judgement in your eyes, on your face, but try not to judge it too much based on first impressions. It might already be too late for that, but just try. Please."

"It would be unfair to judge a place you've never seen before," added Mera, who then shared a knowing smile with Arthur's proud one.

Orm rolled his eyes as the two lovingly stared at each other. _Oh please. Ewww._

"So here are a few guidelines: generally, people are pretty nice. If you're nice to them, they'll usually be nice back. Sure, there's some assholes in the mix, but humans are usually pretty decent. They like to shake hands when they meet other people, a firm handshake, not a wimpy one-" Arthur broke off. Orm was staring blankly back at him. "Y-you do know what I'm talking about - _right_?"

Silence. Orm's expression was unchanged and pretty self-explanatory. That was answer enough.

Arthur sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. Maybe this was going to be harder than he thought.

* * *

"I can't believe how little he knows," Arthur exclaimed once Orm had been taken out of the hall.

"Orm was never interested in learning the ways of the surface world," explained Mera. "He only wanted to destroy it all."

"He only learned what he needed to know, wanted to. Only that which would serve his cause," added Vulko. "Only what his father taught him. But he's intelligent, a quick study."

"Good, he'll need it."

"You're not going to just drop him up on the surface and leave him to fend for himself in an unfamiliar place?" questioned Atlanna with obvious concern.

"I kinda want to," Arthur said, mischievousness lacing his voice. "I kind of want to see Blondie try and figure out the surface-" He was cut off by a stern look from his mother. "Oh come on, doesn't anyone else want to see that?"

Mera and Vulko exchanged a glance before both raising a hand.

Atlanna gave an exasperated sigh. "Oh! I really wish you'd let him stay with Tom and I."

"Uh, no offence, Mom, but I'm really not sure if that's the best idea..." Arthur winced. "I don't want him around Dad, not yet, I don't think that would go down very well. I really think this is something he needs to do on his own." He could tell that his mother was still hesitant, but that she also believed this too.

She sighed. "Well, I guess I'll be there most of the time if he needs anything."

"Exactly, but if possible, Mom, I want him to do this on his own as much as possible. Please don't help him unless he asks for it, is in desperate need. And don't baby him."

"Well, he is my youngest son. I'll watch over him, but try to keep my distance."

Arthur grinned, spinning the trident in his hands. "Excellent! Then it's settled: Little Brother is going to the surface!"

 _Poor Orm... But it'll be good for you, I promise! ;)_

 _Orm and Tatiana might properly meet in the next chapter, and if not, then in the one after that! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)_


	7. VII You're Playing a Human, Act Like It

VII. You're Playing a Human, Act Like It

"Please tell me you've decided on something else," Orm said when he was brought back into the hall after giving the others time to discuss his life.

"Nope," said Arthur. "Nada. You're going up to join the humans."

Orm heaved a heavy and unimpressed sigh. He hadn't really thought they would come up with some other scheme, but he had hoped. Hoping hadn't done him much good though, it would seem. "Let me guess whose idea that was..."

"Oh, it wasn't _my_ idea." Arthur grinned and turned to Atlanna.

Orm's jaw dropped. " _Mother?!_ "

Atlanna nodded. "I suggested it. Being on the surface taught me a lot, and definitely changed my previous ideas about it. I thought maybe it would do the same for you, and the others agree."

Orm gawked at her. Arthur he could see coming up with a crazy plan like this, but his mother? Definitely not.

"I cannot believe you would even suggest this-" Siding with Arthur was one thing, but suggesting Orm do something he was so entirely against was definitely another. His own mother - he couldn't believe it. "Of all the people..." Orm thought of Atlanna's words to him when he had first seen her alive after thinking her dead all these years: _"You are both my children and I love you, so much..."_ But she couldn't be doing this out of love - could she? But the look in her eyes right now staring back at him was telling him that's exactly why she was doing this.

He recalled her words following that statement: _"But you have been misguided. Your father taught you that there were two worlds - he was wrong. The land and sea are one."_ Then he had been hauled away to prison.

"We'll equip you with some things that you'll need - like you for sure can't go marching around in that ridiculous wet-suit."

"You're wearing one too!"

"Eh, this is more what I would consider to be armour..."

"Mine is armour! And it still looks ridiculous on you." Great, now here they were, brothers, arguing like children. Orm's pride was being steadily stripped away, piece by piece, a pride and confidence he had struggled with building for so many years and had finally achieved, much to his father's chagrin, gone in an instant.

"Aw, don't look at me like that. It'll be an adventure! When was the last time you set foot outside the kingdom? When you weren't conducting war of course?" Atlanna sent Arthur a warning glance, telling him to wrap this speech up.

Arthur gave him one last piece of advice: "And remember, you're playing a human, so act like it."

* * *

Here he was, up on the surface. Again.

He already hated it.

Last time he had accidentally ended up here. Now, he had been left here by his own people.

He wondered if Arthur had chosen uncomfortable clothing for him to wear just to spite him further, or if surface garments were all this scratchy and uncomfortable.

The only good thing about being recaptured by Arthur was that he had been able to go back to Atlantis, back home. Even if under terrible circumstances. Even being a prisoner in Atlantis was better than being here. Anywhere was better than here.

All he had were the clothes he was wearing and a small bag of extra clothes and other small items he might need. That was all he had - this definitely felt like a prison sentence.

 _"You're playing a human, so act like it,"_ Arthur had said. Well, easy for him to say... _So I should just be annoying and ignorant, like you._

Growing up under a strict regime laid out by his father, Orm had often secretly longed for the support of his older half-brother, not that he would ever admit it, especially not to Arthur himself. Only now that he finally knew said brother, he wanted nothing to do with the man with whom he shared the same lovely mother.

It was safe to say his situation had gone from 'Very Bad' to 'Much Worse' in only a matter of days.

What to do now? He needed a place to think, to collect his thoughts and assess his current situation - clearly a bad one. And that place was certainly not here in the middle of the street.

Atlanna and Arthur had mentioned some lodgings, a 'hotel' they had called it. When Orm asked if he could just stay with Atlanna and her human husband, Arthur made it clear that he wanted Orm to fend for himself. Luckily, Orm had ample experience in that field, thanks to his father's rigorous training throughout Orm's life.

After some minutes - he had no idea exactly how long, but it felt long, and the sun was beating down on him, doing nothing to improve his current foul mood - Orm knew he was lost. Wasn't this supposed to be a small town? How could he be lost already? This was just embarrassing. He was sure the others were watching him somehow, probably through using _his_ technology, laughing at him, mocking him.

The thought made his blood boil.

But he tried to relax and be calm - he wouldn't be able to think clearly if he was this tense.

Okay, so he was lost. What could he do? He could ask for directions, something he saw as beneath him, but honestly, he had few options.

The crowds were thin, so not a lot of options, but he noticed a young woman crossing the street to the side he stood on, who looked like she would be heading his way. He would just stop her as she passed him and ask her where the 'hotel' was. Simple, easy.

But as the young woman approached, he found that perhaps some luck was suddenly in his favour - he realized he recognized this person passing by: the woman who had his trident. Small town, indeed. Sure, they hadn't met under the best circumstances before (he had definitely frightened her) but she was familiar - the only familiar face to him here so far - and an added bonus, he could get his trident back.

With determination, he straightened up his posture and approached.

 _So I really wanted Orm and Tatiana to meet in this chapter, but felt that was a little rushed as he just arrived on the surface. But in the next chapter for sure!_

 _Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)_


	8. VIII - A Little Lie Never Hurt Anyone

VIII. A Little Lie Never Hurt Anyone

The woman jumped slightly when he approached, so he must have startled her - again. She must be a rather jumpy person. Then he remembered how threatening and angry he had come across as the first time they had encountered each other, and saw she had a fair point and reason to be startled and jumpy in encountering him again.

She clearly recognized him right away, judging by her reaction. "You - you - you threatened me!" She pointed accusingly at him, eyes wide, and took some cautious steps back away from him, as much of a distance as her small stature and strides would allow.

"I know. I realize we didn't have the best first encounter or impression-"

"Yeah, you could say that again! What's your problem?!"

"Listen, I regret that I frightened you last time, that wasn't my intention-" _Only it definitely was._ "-And that is not my intention now. I gave off the wrong impression before, and I do not wish to do so again now." He paused and tried to come across as gentle and non-threatening as possible, and she stopped backing away from him, though kept a good distance between them. "I apologize for frightening you last time-" And he honestly was a bit sorry, now realizing just how frightened of him she had been and obviously still was. Of course, that had been his intention then, but not now. He made sure to lower his voice so that it sounded softer and hopefully more kind. "You see, I wasn't in a good place then-"

"Yeah, and that was no way to thank me for saving your life!"

"What? You didn't save my life." Now he was baffled.

"Yes I did! You washed up in the netting of the boat I was working on, and we took you to the hospital."

So she had not only stolen his trident from him, but it was also her fault that he was re-captured by Arthur, maybe even the reason for ending up on the surface in the first place.

"I am amazed you didn't drown."

 _Huh, you would be._

"We must have found you just in time."

 _Perhaps. Or I'm just naturally equipped to live and breathe underwater._

Despite his growing irritation at this new fact, he tried to keep calm. He didn't want to risk frightening her again with his anger. Instead, he put on a smile. "Well then, I owe you great gratitude, and another apology."

She just nodded. "Glad to know you're doing alright. What happened that night anyways? How could you have gotten all tangled up in that boat's net? Were you diving?"

"No, I wasn't. I was, I was -I was attacked. By my brother."

Now she stared at him, eyebrows shooting up and disappearing into her hairline. "What? That sounds - _intense_."

"Yes, it was." No use denying the fact.

"What provoked that, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, you know, the usual: he stole my throne, we dueled it out, he stole my home, my fiance, my title, everything really."

She just blinked back. "'The usual'?"

"Yes. And stole my symbols of power - speaking of which, why did you have my trident?"

Now she was staring back at him even more blankly than before, most likely trying to process all that he had just said and make sense of it. Human brains must be rather slow at processing. "Y-your trident?"

"Yes, I saw you with it that night I-" _That night I threatened and frightened you_. "-That night we first met."

"Your trident? Are you a collector?"

"No, it's my personalized weapon."

"Oh, okay..."

"What is it? Why do you look so confused?"

"It's just, I've never heard of anyone owning a trident before, much less as their 'personalized weapon."

"Well, isn't that what you're using it for? As a weapon."

Her eyes grew wide again. "Me? Oh, no! Definitely not!" She chuckled awkwardly. "I wouldn't know the first place to start with using it as a weapon, or any sort of weapon for that matter..."

 _You swing it, it's really quite simple. And stab with the sharp, pointy end._ Orm bit back his sarcastic comments.

"I'm not using it like that, I'm studying it. I study Atlantis."

This surprised him. A human, studying Atlantis? But Arthur had said humans didn't believe it existed. "I thought everyone thought it was a myth."

"Oh yeah, that's what everyone tells me." She chuckled, rolling her eyes. "But I've been studying it for years, searching for any small sliver of proof that it's real. It is, I know it is. It has to be..."

If everyone thought it was a myth except for this woman, then that meant she was committed. He could tell, in her words, in her eyes, the way she entirely lit up as she spoke of it, almost matching his own enthusiasm for his home - perhaps he could use this to his advantage. "You study Atlantis?"

"Yes, the Greek myth, the sunken island and civilization-"

"Well it's no myth," he jumped in defensively.

"Do you study it too?"

"No, I'm from there." Well, so much for Arthur's strict words about playing a human.

Now she gawked at him. "Y-you're from there? R-really?"

"Yes, why would I say so if it wasn't true?"

She stared at him, assessing him. "And you're not just messing with me? Joking with the 'crazy Atlantis nerd?'"

"No, I'm not. I'm serious."

"How serious?"

" _Dead_ serious."

She stared back at him for a moment before she exploded with excitement. He jumped when she let out a high-pitched squeal and clapped her hands together. Must have been some excited mannerism.

"Wow, I can't believe it! It's real, it's real! It's really real!" Orm resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I can't believe it! And everyone said I was wasting my time!" Then she continued in another language, one which he could not understand, though he was impressed by her knowledge of more than one language. He hadn't expected that of humans. She was proving to be an interesting surface dweller.

"Wait-" Suddenly she paused in her excitement and turned back to him. "-Are you the Aquaman? The Atlantean living amongst the humans? The superhero?!" Now she was beaming.

Arthur. That's right, he was well-known of here. And not just here in this town, but all over the surface world. Her excitement startled him a little. He was about to spit out, 'No! No of course I'm not that fool!" But, again, this could prove useful for him. In fact, this was all falling together quite nicely, and he hadn't even planned it. So although he felt another layer of his pride strip away with his next words, he said, "Uh, yes..."

"Oh my God, no way!" Were humans really so naive and gullible? "I'm so happy to meet you! What's your name? Unless you want me to call you 'Aquaman'."

Certainly not. "Orm. Rightful King of Atlantis."

"Well, it's so nice to meet you, Orm! I'm Tatiana, or 'Ana.' Dr. Tatiana Andreas, Archaeologist." She flashed him a wide grin. "Wait, did you say king?"

"Yes, rightful king."

"So you're royalty?"

He held back yet another sigh. "Yes."

"So you're not just Atlantean, but Atlantean royalty! And a superhero! You're an Atlantean royal superhero - that's so badass!"

"Could we perhaps keep our voices down?" he requested, now worried that her intense excitement would attract more unwanted attention.

"Wait, do you know Wonder Woman?! She's my hero! A badass Greek mythological figure turned super-heroine?! Sorry, I'm really nerding out! I have so many questions I want to ask - would you be willing to help me with my research?"

The woman was overly excited, and Orm was having trouble keeping up. "Uh, yes, I could do that..."

"YES! Oh, thank you, thank you!" For a terrifying moment, he thought she might hug him. This was exhausting.

Again he tried to calm her down. "Now, I am trying to keep a low profile..."

"Oh, of course. My lips are sealed! Where are you staying while you're here? Wait, you live here, don't you?"

"Uh, yes, this is my home..." _I cannot believe I just called this disgusting place my home._ "But due to this trouble with my brother, I cannot go home. That would be the first place he will look for me."

"Right, yes, of course. This is like one of those spy movies! You have to fill me in on what's happening. Do you need somewhere to stay? You could always stay with me, if you wanted..." Her sudden generosity to a pretty much complete stranger startled herself. She got caught up in the moment, in her excitement. What was she thinking? This guy could be dangerous - was dangerous. And by the sounds of it, he could bring danger with him.

But she had always believed in generosity, and maybe she would even make a friend in her new home.

The man - Orm - still hadn't said anything. "Sorry," she apologized. "I wasn't thinking..."

"If it is no trouble with you, I would be extremely grateful to stay, even for just a short while."

She smiled. "Alright then, it's settled. Come on, follow me, I'll take you home."

She turned and began walking, and Orm began to follow, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Well, that had worked out very nicely indeed. And a little lie never hurt anyone, right?

 _Whew, that was a bit of a whirlwind! And I think we all know that Orm lying right from the start is not going to end well..._

 _Will be starting the sequel to my other Orm story very soon, so stay tuned!_

 _Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)_


	9. IX Special Guest

IX. Special Guest

Tatiana couldn't believe her luck!

An Atlantean, a real Atlantean! And the king no less, overthrown by his wicked brother and seeking to take back his kingdom! It sounded like something out of a fairy tale!

And he was standing here in her house with her!

"Welcome home!" she said, excitement clear in her voice when she led him inside her quaint seaside home.

Orm did not share in her excitement. He tried not to grimace at his new surroundings - it was definitely no palace, not even close, that was for certain. And it was rather cluttered and messy.

"What do you think?" She valued his opinion.

"Um..." He did one more quick scan, desperately searching for a word that was both true and not rude. "Charming."

"Yes, it is, isn't it. I'm glad you think so! I'm liking it so far. And sorry for the mess," she said, as though having read his mind. "I'm in the middle of work and I like to spread all my notes out while I'm working."

 _No kidding,_ he thought.

"It won't be like this all the time, I promise!"

 _Good_. As long as she kept to her word, then he could deal with it.

Tatiana tried not to grimace as she did her own scan of her house and its current state. It wasn't just cluttered, it was messy. She would have to be more aware of that now that she had a guest staying with her. She had been living and working on her own for so long she had become used to her work-state clutter.

Orm hated being associated with this place, let alone associating himself with it. But this was the story he had made up, and so now he had to stick with it. He would have to map it all out carefully in his head to make sure he had all the same details so he wouldn't confuse anything and risk compromising his situation.

He was so lost in assessing his surroundings and wondering how the hell he was going to live here, that he almost didn't notice the woman - Tatiana, _Tatiana, remember that_ \- had started talking again. Had she ever stopped?

"So did the police find you then?"

"Excuse me?"

"The police, they came looking for you. It seemed like they were asking around town. They said your family was looking for you."

Arthur and Mera. It had to be. Well, now he knew how they had found him and recaptured him. And he knew who to thank for that. "Uh, yes, they did, find me. Everything is all right now," he said, hoping she would drop the subject.

"Good, I'm glad. You gave us all quite the scare when we found you in the netting! I thought surely you had drowned."

"That is impossible for my kind." Then he quickly added, "But thank you for your concern."

"So, you probably get asked this a lot, but what's it like being a world-famous superhero! I mean, you're from here in America, but we've heard about you all the way over in Greece! You're famous! Is it exciting?"

All her questions, all her talking in general, made his head hurt, but he supposed he was also at fault here - he did tell her that he was the Aquaman. He almost laughed at the ridiculous title. How could Arthur hold such a silly title so proudly?

"I try to keep out of the spotlight."

"So how long have you been here in Amnesty Bay?"

"Um, not very long. I just kind of ended up here."

Tatiana nodded. Then she said boldly, "I'm new here too. We can learn together."

Her words were nothing but warm and kind. _She_ was being nothing but warm and kind to him, a total stranger. So why did they, her words, make him so angry? Because they reminded him of his much less-than-ideal situation. However, after so long, so many years of being told he needed to do everything himself and that he couldn't rely on others, it suddenly felt as though he had an ally of sorts. With this realization, a giant weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders. He had to remain alert though, otherwise it could threaten his plan.

"Well, go ahead and get settled, make yourself at home," she said, gesturing to the cluttered space around them.

Home. He missed his home already.

She was still talking. "There's food in the fridge and cupboards in case you're hungry, washroom is just around the corner, and I'm afraid you'll have to sleep on the couch, there's only one bedroom. I'll find you a pillow and some blankets."

He put on a smile, pushing aside the heavy feeling of his homesickness for now. "You're being more than kind - thank you." He hoped his thanks didn't sound like as much of an afterthought as it was. That was due to his upbringing - he was used to being served, as the prince and then as the king, and didn't always show his thanks. And he was only realizing it now in the face of his more than generous hostess.

"I was going to make myself a snack and then do some more work. What do you like to eat? What kind of foods do Atlanteans eat? Oh, I have so many questions, I'll have to write them all down and then we can have a question and answer session!"

 _She's so annoying._ Orm tried to focus on how kind and accommodating she was being towards him to distract him from her irritating personality.

He had already thought his stay up on the surface would be long - now it would feel even longer.

 _Well done, Orm. What have you gotten yourself into?_

* * *

The next morning Tatiana awoke and upon entering the living room almost jumped out of her skin when she saw the man lying on her couch.

Then it clicked, and she remembered-

So it hadn't been a dream after all! She really had met the King of Atlantis and famous superhero Aquaman and had invited him to stay with her - as crazy as it all sounded!

Careful not to wake the sleeping royal, she tip-toed into the kitchen where she received another surprise.

Her fridge was practically empty!

She cast a glance towards the sleeping figure on the couch who she guessed was the culprit for the lack of food.

Well, she now had a warrior-king-superhero staying with her, so perhaps that made sense. Looked like she would have to make some adjustments.

 _Be grateful Orm! ;) Haha, we know it's going to take him some time to warm up to this place!_

 _So sorry for the delay - I'm getting out of a long period of writer's block for all my stories._ _But finally here's another chapter! Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me and I hope you enjoyed! :)_


	10. X - Housemates

X. Housemates

"Oh, good morning!" An overly-cheerful voice greeted Orm as he stirred awake. He groaned and rubbed his eyes - it was much too bright here. He missed the darkness of the ocean depths. It was going to take a long time for his water-trained eyes to adjust.

When they finally did, he saw more parchment scattered about on the floor, almost covering the whole floor, like a trail leading to where his hostess sat surrounded by a pile.

She gave him a smile and wave, sipping something steaming from the mug in her hand. "Or, _Kaliméra_ as we say back home."

"Good morning," Orm responded, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

He swung his legs off the couch, but drew his feet back before he stepped on the floor - where could he step, with all these papers spread about?

"Sorry, I've made it a bit of a maze here, haven't I?" She came over, scooping up pages as she went.

"I hope you're not too hungry this morning, as options are limited - although it appears like you had a good feast sometime last night." She smiled. "I'll have to go to the market today. I mostly cook traditional Greek food, reminds me of home. Hope that's okay with you."

He had no idea what she was talking about. "Yes, that's fine."

"I was thinking salad and dolmathes tonight, how does that sound?"

"I am not familiar with those foods, but am willing to try them."

"Great, I'm glad! They're some of my favourites! And I love to cook!"

 _Lovely_.

"So this is really yours, huh?"

"I'm sorry?" He saw that she was now gesturing to his trident, which was standing up in the corner behind her desk. She had jumped from subject to subject very quickly.

"You said that this trident is your personal weapon?"

"Yes. A trident is the traditional weapon of Atlantan royalty-" He paused, realizing she had her head down and was frantically scribbling something down.

Was she even listening to him?

"Sorry, keep going! I'm just writing this all down!" Her long hair was falling in her face, making Orm wonder how she could see anything. Didn't it bother her, how her hair was messily in the way? That was why he liked to keep his own hair pulled back.

"I wiped it off, hope you don't mind," she said. "It has a nice shine to it, don't you think? It's really very beautiful!"

"Yes, it is."

"Maybe you can give me a demonstration on how to use it sometime! Though, probably best we go outside for that, too many things to knock over in here!" She laughed; Orm did not.

"Would you like anything to drink? Tea, coffee? I'm having coffee." She held up her giant mug.

"Um, no thank you. Just a glass of water will be fine."

"Sure." She retrieved a glass from one of the cupboards and held it out to him. "Help yourself. I hope you won't be too bored here, as I just work mostly... But now you can help me - if you don't mind, of course! And you will receive credit in my research, don't you worry!"

 _Why would I worry about that?_ Orm suppressed yet another heavy sigh. He clearly had a lot to learn, and he was not pleased about it. "This is your research?"

"It's messy, I know." She seemed a little embarrassed - her olive cheeks were clearly flushed now. Orm felt a little bad now for pointing it out. "It's not the most organized system, but it works for me. I like to lay it all out - I don't want to miss anything when I compile it all."

"Compile it all?"

"Into a book. I'm writing a series of papers and putting them into a book - all my research, my life's work!" She was grinning now. "I've never been this close to finishing it before. I have no idea what I'll do once I'm finished and it's all over..." This suddenly dawned on her - what did you do when you finished your life's work?

* * *

Orm did eventually try some coffee, seeing as his hostess liked it so much and kept boasting about it. He didn't see the appeal - one sip told him enough.

Tatiana did some 'organizing' of her notes and then declared she was heading to the market. "Would you like to come with me?"

"I think it would be best if I stayed here, keep a low profile."

"Alright, I understand." Did she seem disappointed? "I won't be too long. Any foods you'd like me to look for?"

He might have to start doing some research of his own - on surface world foods. "Whatever you pick out I'm sure will be fine for me."

"Sounds good! Don't steal my research while I'm gone." She winked, and Orm didn't know how to respond to that. Luckily she left before he had to formulate a response.

Orm exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and relished in the sudden peace and quiet - he had been longing for a peaceful moment like this since waking up. Best not let it go to waste.

He strode over and scooped up his trident. He gripped it tightly, taking in the familiar sensation of having a weapon in his hand, even though he hadn't used this particular trident in some time. He twirled it around thoughtfully.

He needed to form a plan of action. Sure, he had managed to escape, but he felt more trapped here than he had. He may have escaped his prison cell, but now he was stuck here, in an unfamiliar place being closely monitored.

And he might have chosen the most annoying surface dweller to stay with, but she seemed gullible enough.

Surface dwellers in general seemed gullible enough. Perhaps he could charm his way into making them trust him, as Arthur had.

As Arthur had, both here on the surface and in Atlantis.

Great, that was the last thing he wanted. He was _not_ about to become like his brother.

 _I love Greek food! I started craving it while writing this, haha! ;)_

 _As promised in my other Orm story, here's another chapter for this Orm story! :) Thank you for your patience - I've been on a roll with updating many of my stories and trying to finish some of the older ones!_

 _I thought it was about time we check back in with Orm and Tatiana! ;) Thank you so much for reading and, as always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)_


	11. XI - Different Worlds?

XI. Different Worlds?

Tatiana's cell phone rang right as she stepped up to the counter to pay for her groceries. Once she had paid and left the shop with her bags, she unlocked her phone finding she had a voicemail message in her inbox. It was from Max.

 _Hi Tatiana, this is Max. Just wanted to check in as it's been a couple of days since I've heard from you. Just wondering when you'd like to meet up again for work. Call me back and let me know. Thanks, bye._

Oh yes, she wasn't working alone on this project... What should she tell Max about Orm, if at all? She would have to discuss that with Orm himself. He had said he was wanting to keep a low-profile, understandably.

She called Max back, also getting his voice mail; both of them were busy with work it would seem. "Hi Max, thanks for your call. I think I have a lead and so I don't think I will need to consult the salvaging company at least for a few days, but I will keep you posted. Thanks again for checking in, bye!"

Now time to head home and do some cooking!

* * *

"I thought, since you're my special guest, that I would make a special dessert for tonight," Tatiana chimed. Orm couldn't remember the names of the food she had prepared for dinner - names in her native tongue - but it had been to his liking. Her passion for cooking shone through.

She had music playing in the background, from where he couldn't tell exactly, but she said it was traditional music from her homeland.

"I'm still pretty homesick, so I'm also very nostalgic," she had told him.

He knew exactly what it felt like to be homesick - although, unlike her (it sounded like her homeland of Greece was quite far from where they were in America. He didn't know exactly but had just nodded as to not appear clueless on Surface World geography, even though he was) his home was just within reach.

"Chocolate baklava!" She produced a plate baring little triangles - her special dessert for her special guest. "It's pastry with chopped nuts and chocolate inside, then with honey poured on top," she explained to his look of confusion. "I hope you like it!"

"Um, thank you..."

The dessert was very sweet and he had to wash it down with giant gulps of water. But it was good.

"Well, what do you think?" Her eyes searched his for an answer.

His opinion clearly mattered to her. "It's - good... Very sweet. But I like sweet, I have a bit of a sweet-tooth."

Her whole face lit up. "Me too!"

"My father always scolded me for it, because he thought it was unhealthy and I always needed to be in excellent physical condition to be battle-ready, but I'd still sneak into the kitchens sometimes and steal sweets. And sometimes the servants would sneak some out to me." He paused in his reminiscing, suddenly realizing he was doing just that: reminiscing.

What was he doing? Those were personal memories he was blabbing on about - why was he just so carelessly sharing them with her, someone he had only just met, and a surface dweller at that? What was wrong with him?

But she was staring at him with nothing but pure interest, her eyes shining excitedly. "Wow, thank you for sharing that! It's so interesting-"

It really wasn't all that exciting _or_ interesting, but she clearly thought so, and, just like with how his opinion clearly mattered so much to her, somewhere, deep down, he was a little touched by this.

"It's funny sharing something in common with an Atlantean," she continued. An actual Atlantean! And royalty at that!

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's just our worlds sound so different, but they do share some similarities, clearly. Maybe they seem different on the surface but, if you look deeper, they're not so different after all."

Scratching the surface of the Surface World and looking deeper towards Atlantis.

He did not approve or like the fact the she was comparing this garbage surface world with his beautiful Atlantis. He pushed himself away from the table and out of his seat - perhaps a little more forcefully than necessary. "Thank you for the dinner. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go train." Some exercise always helped clear his head. And it was also familiar, and he could do with some familiarity right now.

Without another word he grabbed his trident and left the house, heading around to the back of it, leaving his hostess still sitting at the table, blinking after him.

"Oh, okay..." She watched him leave, confused by his sudden change. Had she said or done something to offend him? She hoped not.

* * *

Tatiana sat at the table for a good few minutes after Orm left, pondering what she may have said to upset him. Still uncertain after those few minutes had passed, she began cleaning up the dinner dishes - if Orm planned on staying for a while, which it seemed like he may, she would have to have a talk with him about him pitching in and helping around the house. But he was still her guest for now.

As she was drying the dishes she saw a flash of silver out the window and looked to see Orm swinging his trident around in the fading daylight. The heavy weapon appeared so light and sleek as he skillfully swung it around.

His muscles rippled beneath his clothes - she caught herself staring. He _was_ very handsome, she couldn't deny that...

 _Settle down_ , she told herself. He was her guest, and nothing more. Besides, they came from totally different situations, totally different worlds, literally. They were lucky to have even met! She settled on that it was just her loneliness and homesickness getting the best of her, making her want to cling to whoever showed up.

"I'm sorry if I said something to offend you earlier," she said when he came back inside a while later. "You seemed upset after dinner so I wondered if I had said or done something."

He brushed aside her apology. "It doesn't matter. Good night."

But clearly it did matter. She decided, however, not to continue to push the issue. "Goodnight. Or, as we say back home, _Kalinychta_."

 _Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)_


	12. XII - Connections

XII. Connections

 _The Legend of Atlantis: A Reality Resurfacing_

This was the title of her collection of papers so far. She had the title figured out at least, off to a good start.

Max phoned her back that evening, saying that her plan to check in in a few days was fine, and to let him know if anything came up. Good, that would give her some time to interview Orm and figure out how he wanted to proceed - after all, she wasn't working alone on this, mostly, but not fully. She would have to tell Max about him sometime.

As for Orm, he thought she _did_ sound homesick - when she bid him goodnight, he could hear the pain of it in her voice and it tugged painfully at his heartstrings. He felt a little bad brushing her off like he had.

That homesickness faded a little the next day when she received a call.

 _"Ana, you didn't call me and tell me about your date!"_

"Oh Phoebs, I'm sorry, I completely forgot." A lot had happened since then.

 _"Must have only been alright then - not good enough to brag about but also not bad enough to want to gossip to someone."_

Tatiana rolled her eyes at these specifics. "It was fine, but I think we're just meant to be friends."

 _"Well, it's still early, so don't give up hope yet! Although I'm not so sure how I feel about you settling down with someone so far away, and so far from home!"_

"We went on one date," she reminded her sister. Tatiana was a long way from 'settling down' with anyone anywhere, let alone here.

It was easy for the sisters to get lost talking to each other, and pretty soon an hour had gone by. Tatiana said she had best return to her work - she wasn't on vacation, after all - and promised to call Phoebe soon.

When she hung up, smiling, but with a sinking feeling settling within her now that the conversation was over, she saw Orm standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hello. That was my sister. She lives back home in Greece." Then she realized he was staring at her phone. "Oh - this is a cell phone, it's mostly used for long distance communication, and other things."

"Atlantis is very advanced in technology," he explained. "We have similar devices."

"Really? That's so interesting! I guess that makes sense, as ancient civilizations were often a lot more ahead of their time and modern than we give them credit for."

"You're sad," Orm observed.

"Hmm? Oh, no, not really..." She shrugged. "I'm just homesick. Talking to my family always brings those feelings up, and makes me reconsider my choices in coming here."

"Why?" He sat on the opposite end of the couch.

"They just remind me that I'm not really in a secure place. My sister, Phoebe, has as good stable job, a husband and child - she's got a secure life. I'm constantly running around chasing myths and legends. Not exactly what many people would call a 'secure' lifestyle choice. My family certainly doesn't think so."

"But you don't mind it," he observed.

"No, not at all! I love it in fact. I don't feel insecure at all. They just get me thinking..."

"And you care about what they think?"

"Yes, they're my family, their opinions matter very much to me. I know they just want what's best for me and what will make me happy, but it can sometimes come across as judgmental on my life choices. They compare Phoebe and me a lot. They'd rather I was like her. She's happy and I'm happy for her. I just wish they could see that I'm happy and be happy for me, too. And sometimes, I even start to question what I'm doing..." Then her expression brightened. "But, now, thanks to you, I have more of a lead on my research than I ever have before! So thank you!"

He nodded, thinking about what she had said about her family. "No one ever really focused on my happiness - at least not for a long time. Ever since losing my mother, my father ordered me around how he felt I should act and what he felt I should be doing, his idea of good and right, and I just never questioned it."

"I'm sorry, that sounds very limited."

"And my brother was the child my mother wanted, the child she had with the man she loved, while I was the child she had to have, there had to be an heir..." This sudden realization hit him right in the chest and he felt his whole heart sink. "Then she was gone and I never really got the sense of if she loved me as much as him..." He was sure she did. Again, she had said, _"You are both my children and I love you so much"_. Then she had gone on to tell him that he had been misguided by his father's ways. He had felt so betrayed when she stood beside Arthur, taking his side. Atlanna had never seemed like the type of person to have favourites, but now the thought had him wondering. Had he ever really known his mother at all? He had been so young when she had disappeared, and he had been led to believe she was dead.

"I'm sure that's not true," Tatiana said gently.

"I'm not sure. I haven't known much love-" There, it happened again, the words out of his mouth before he could realize what he was saying, what he was disclosing to this mere surface dweller. However, such deep and powerful words came so naturally in front of her, as though he felt at ease here around her.

And he did, he realized. Despite barely knowing her, Tatiana brought with her a welcoming and open atmosphere, and she wasn't there to judge him, but to listen and observe and even help where she could.

"And you're following your heart, and you are happy, so I hope your family can realize that."

She smiled a little. "Thanks, me too. And hey, if you ever want to talk about family, I'm here, just so you know."

Again, he was surprised by her forwardness, but he realized, maybe she just wanted someone there to talk to as well.

He appreciated her kindness towards him, he really did. He just couldn't bring himself to say it - not yet anyways. So instead, he nodded and said, "Thank you."

 _Aww Orm! He definitely deserves more love! :)_

 _Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed as always! :)_


	13. XIII Work Partner

XIII. Work Partner

"Hey Tatian – oh-" The man stopped when he saw Orm open the door. "You're not Tatiana."

He may have been trying to joke, like Arthur often did, but, just like with Arthur, Orm didn't find him funny. "No, I'm not." _Obviously not._

"Oh um-" His seriousness must have surprised the man, throwing him off. "I-I thought she lived here, I swear I have the right address-"

"She does. She's just not here at the moment. She went out."

"Oh, oh good. I mean, not good that she's out, but good that I have the right house-"

Orm suppressed a sigh. Did all humans ramble like this? It was tiring. Just get to the point, like he had always been taught. No use rambling around the topic. Be direct and clear with your intentions. It was already exhausting enough being around Tatiana.

The surface man seemed a little uneasy standing before Orm's tall, broad figure, and Orm felt a surge of pride he hadn't felt in weeks. He allowed himself to smile at this little victory. And, being in his current mostly-unclothed state (he wore only a towel, having just bathed) gave him a good chance to show off his warrior physique in a hopefully intimidating way.

This backfired however, and was short-lived, as the man seemed to mistake the smile, for he smiled back. Orm stopped smiling. Reading humans was difficult, much more so than he would have thought.

"Um-" The man cleared his throat. "I wasn't aware that she lived with someone."

"Should you be aware? Are you and her close?" Orm surprised himself – now he was defending her? Why? He didn't care.

"Oh, no!" The man seemed surprised as well. "We work together, but she just didn't tell me about you, I guess."

"I'm a new addition," Orm explained.

"Oh, I see." But it was clear that he didn't. "Oh, what am I doing?" Orm wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer, but he wasn't given time to do so for the man held out his hand. "I'm Max, by the way, Max Preston. I'm head of the salvaging company Tatiana's working on a contract with."

What was he doing? Then Orm recalled something that Arthur had said: _"_ _They like to shake hands when they meet other people, a firm handshake, not a wimpy one."_

So Orm did just that. He grasped the man's hand firmly and shook it.

"Wow, quite the grip!" the man remarked after they had let go. Orm felt that little bit of pride slip back. See, he could live amongst the humans. Take that, Arthur!

"So, are you Tatiana's boyfriend?"

The question instantly struck him out of his small victory. "Excuse me?" Perhaps this came out harsher than he had intended, for he was more surprised than anything.

"Uh, well I just thought, you know, you obviously spent the night-" The man – had Orm already forgotten his name? – nodded to his towel, implying his lack of clothing, judging by the meager attire. "So I just assumed that-"

"Don't assume." Orm put on his commanding king voice, something he hadn't used in a while and did it ever feel good. It didn't project quite as much as under water, but it did the trick.

The man flinched. "Sorry! I don't want to read too much into it-"

"Then don't, for there's nothing to read into." Orm crossed his arms over his chest. The fact that he stood a little taller than this man helped. Unlike Arthur standing taller than him. It felt good to feel some power again.

"Sorry," the man hurriedly apologized again. Following a long pause, during which the man tried to avoid eye-contact, he asked, "What did you say your name is?"

"I didn't." He was used to people knowing who he was, not having to introduce himself. "Orm."

"Just Orm?"

He was tempted to say 'King Orm', but guessed that that wouldn't make much sense to this surface dweller. "Yes."

"Okay then... Nice to meet you."

Orm said nothing,

The human rocked back and forth on his feet. "Uh, you wouldn't happen to know when Tatiana will be back, do you?"

"No, I do not. She said she had some errands to run. Why, did you have an arranged meeting with her?"

"No, no, I was just wondering. Was hoping to chat with her. No worries though, I'll just give her a call. Well, I guess I'll leave you to get back to whatever it was you were doing - getting ready, by the looks of it. Nice to meet you, _Orm_." With a brief wave, the man was gone.

Orm chuckled to himself. Humans sure were strange.

* * *

"Hi Max," Tatiana said, fumbling with her grocery bags as she struggled to answer her cell phone at the same time.

 _"Hi Tatiana. Did I catch you at a bad time?"_

"No, no! Here, just let me set these bags down - okay, there, now I'm good!"

 _"Okay. I'm calling cause I just stopped by your house on my way to the docks..."_

His words made Tatiana's heart leap - maybe Orm hadn't answered the door. She realized she probably should have told him to avoid answering the door when she wasn't home. Oops.

"Oh, yeah?"

" _Yeah_ ," Max continued, and she had a feeling she knew where this was going. _"And your housemate opened the door. I didn't realize you had someone staying with you."_

Tatiana winced. No such luck, it would seem. "Yeah, about that... I haven't really had the chance to tell anyone, it's a very recent development. Orm is an Atlantean expert, yeah, and he contacted me about sharing our research. Of course, I jumped at the chance, and offered for him to stay with me as he hasn't got another place to stay yet. So we're just working together, that's all." It wasn't totally a lie. In fact, it was mostly all the truth.

 _"And living together."_

"Yeah... But as work partners."

 _"I see. Sorry, I know this probably seems weird, I was just a little startled when some random man answered your door."_

"Yeah, thanks for checking in."

 _"Yeah, no problem. Talk to you soon?"_

"Yes. Bye Max." She hoped Orm hadn't scared him away.

* * *

"I'm back!" she called upon entering the door, three bursting paper bags full of groceries in her arms.

"Do you need some help?" called Orm's voice.

"No, no, I'm good, but thanks - whoa!" She struggled with the bags.

"Here-" Some of the weight was taken away as he grabbed two of the bags.

"Thanks, I really-" She stopped and stared.

Orm was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He must have come out of the shower recently.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She suddenly realized she was staring - at his extremely muscular upper body! Toned chest, sculpted arms, smooth skin...

She blinked. "Yes, yes of course. Thank you, for helping me."

"Yes, well it appeared that you needed it."

"Yeah, yeah I did." She hurriedly began putting the groceries away to busy herself from thinking about Orm's half-naked body right behind her, and to hide her rapidly-blushing cheeks from him. Oh, wow...

She had never felt this flustered around anyone before. She wanted to laugh at herself at the way she was acting - yes, he was very good looking, there was no question about it, but here she was, completely losing it in his presence!

But that was just it, she'd never felt this way around anyone before - maybe that meant something.

 _Unfortunately we didn't get a shirtless Orm scene in the movie ;) But Patrick was shirtless while training for the movie in some behind the scenes clips I saw..._

 _Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)_


End file.
